New guinea impatiens plant named ‘Dongimprolhopin’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Impatiens  plant named ‘Dongimprolhopin’ characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely and early flowering habit; large bright red purple-colored flowers that are undulate; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DONGIMPROLHOPIN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dongimprolhopin’.

The new Impatiens plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Koka, Ethiopia and Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new early and freely flowering New Guinea Impatiens plants with large attractive flowers and good garden performance.

The new Impatiens plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in November, 2015 in Koka, Ethiopia of a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number NN13-007078-004, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Impatiens hawkeri ‘Kirocolete’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,752, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Impatiens plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. in April, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Impatiens plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. since June, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Impatiens have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylight and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dongimprolhopin’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dongimprolhopin’ as a new and distinct Impatiens plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Freely and early flowering habit.     -   6. Large bright red purple-colored flowers that are undulate.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens are more compact than and not as         vigorous as plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are bright red purple         in color whereas flowers of plants of the female parent         selection are dark lavender pink in color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of ‘Kirocolete’. Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of ‘Kirocolete’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Petal margins of plants of the new Impatiens are more frilled         than petal margins of plants of ‘Kirocolete’.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are bright red purple         in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Kirocolete’ are bright         fuchsia in color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of Impatiens hawkeri ‘Doimmalaven’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 30,744. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of ‘Doimmalaven’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens are more compact than and not as         vigorous as plants of ‘Doimmalaven’.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens have smaller flowers than plants         of ‘Doimmalaven’.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are undulate with         frilled petal margins whereas flowers of plants of ‘Doimmalaven’         are mostly flat and have entire margins.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are bright red purple         in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Doimmalaven’ are purple         to red purple in color.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of Impatiens hawkeri ‘Kironanete’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,753. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of ‘Kironanete’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens are more compact than and not as         vigorous as plants of ‘Kironanete’.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens have larger flowers than plants         of ‘Kironanete’.     -   3. Petal margins of plants of the new Impatiens are more frilled         than petal margins of plants of ‘Kironanete’.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Impatiens are bright red purple         in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Kironanete’ are dark         cherry red in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Impatiens plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Impatiens plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dongimprolhopin’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dongimprolhopin’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the winter and early spring in 15.25-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif. and under cultural practices typical of commercial New Guinea Impatiens production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C., night temperatures averaged 20° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 4,500 lux. Plants were 16 weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri ‘Dongimprolhopin’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens             hawkeri identified as code number NN13-007078-004, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Impatiens hawkeri ‘Kirocolete’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,752. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About five to             seven days at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About three weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright to outwardly             spreading and mounding plant habit; broad inverted triangle             in overall shape; freely branching habit with lateral             branches potentially developing at every node; moderately             vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 27 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 53 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 24.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 1.1 cm.         -   Internode length.—About 4.1 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture and luster.—Smooth, glabrous; glossy.         -   Color, developing.—Close to between 177A and 178A.         -   Color, fully developed.—Close to 146A variably tinged with             close to 178A and 183A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Typically in whorls; simple.         -   Length.—About 12.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Serrate with ciliation.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             somewhat glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker green than N189A;             venation, close to 145C. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 191A; venation, close to 53B to 53C.         -   Petiole length.—About 5 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Petiole texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; somewhat glossy.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—Close to 145B to 145C.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—Close to 145B to 145C variably             tinged with 53B to 53C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single oval to rounded             axillary flowers that are undulate; freely flowering habit,             typically about eight to ten open flowers and flower buds             per lateral branch; flowers positioned above and beyond the             foliar plane, flowers typically face mostly upright to             outwardly.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers typically last about four to seven             days on the plant under greenhouse conditions; petals             self-cleaning, gynoecium persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse             conditions; in the garden, flowering from spring until fall             in California; early flowering habit, plants typically begin             flowering about ten weeks after planting.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.             Shape: Ovoid; flower buds opening “rose-like”. Texture and             luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Petals, close to             68A; sepals, close to 146B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6.75 cm by 6.25 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five per flower in a             single whorl. Length, banner petal: About 3.5 cm. Length,             lateral petals: About 3 cm. Length, lower petals: About             3.5 cm. Width, banner petal: About 5.5 cm. Width, lateral             petals: About 4.2 cm. Width, lower petals: About 4.75 cm.             Shape, all petals: Broadly cordate. Apex, all petals:             Cordate to rounded. Base, all petals: Obtuse. Margin, all             petals: Scalloped; moderately undulate and frilled, ruffled             appearance. Texture and luster, all petals, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety; matte. Texture and luster, all             petals, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color,             banner and lower petals: When opening and fully opened,             upper surface: More intense than between N57A and N66A;             towards the base, close to N57C; venation, similar to             lamina; color does not change with development. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to N57C; towards the             base, close to N570; venation, similar to lamina; color             towards the base becoming closer to N57D to lighter than             N57D with development. Color, lateral petals: When opening             and fully opened, upper surface: More intense than between             N57A and N66A; towards the base, close to N57A; venation,             similar to lamina; color becoming closer to N66B and towards             the base becoming closer to N57D to lighter than N57D with             development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to N57C; towards the base, close to N57D; venation,             similar to lamina; color does not change with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Three in a single whorl;             one modified into an elongated spur; curvature of the spur             is medium. Lateral sepal length: About 1 cm. Lateral sepal             width: About 7 mm. Lateral sepal shape: Elongated deltoid.             Lateral sepal apex: Cuspidate. Lateral sepal base: Truncate.             Lateral sepal margin: Entire. Lateral sepal texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Lateral sepal color, upper surface: Close to 145A. Lateral             sepal color, lower surface: Close to 146A. Spur length:             About 3.5 cm. Spur diameter: At flower, about 3 mm; at apex,             about 1 mm. Spur texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             somewhat glossy. Spur color: Close to 53C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 2.75 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong; flexible.             Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.             Color: Close to 146A to 146B variably tinged with close to             178A and 183A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five fused at             anthers; filaments free. Anther size: About 6 mm by 2 mm.             Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to 11D;             proximally, close to N57A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 10D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma             color: Close to 144A. Style color: Close to 144A. Ovary             color: Close to 144A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not             been observed on plants of the new Impatiens. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Impatiens     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Impatiens plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate temperatures ranging     from about 5° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Impatiens plant named ‘Dongimprolhopin’ as illustrated and described. 